Researchers who have claimed this convict
There is currently one researcher who has claimed William Stonage
- Researcher (Edward Dridge)
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Biographies
William Stonage (also recorded as Stonehage) was born in England in the late 1700s. His exact birth and baptism details are unconfirmed, but he was likely a native of Sussex or a nearby county, given the location of his later crimes. Little is documented about William’s family background or early life in England before his conviction.
In early 1818, William Stonage and an associate, James Dridge, were arrested and charged with burglary (housebreaking). They were accused of breaking into a dwelling house in Sussex and stealing property. Both men were committed to Horsham Gaol and brought to trial at the Sussex Lent Assizes on 16 March 1818. They were found guilty of the burglary. The crime was a capital offense at the time, and they initially received death sentences. These sentences were subsequently commuted to transportation for life.
Following the trial, William was likely held for a short period in an English prison hulk (a decommissioned ship used to house convicts) while awaiting transportation. In mid-1818, he was sent to New South Wales as a convict for life. Stonage embarked on the convict ship General Stewart, which sailed from Portsmouth on 19 July 1818. After a voyage of over five months, the General Stewart arrived at Port Jackson (Sydney) on 31 December 1818. William Stonage, along with other convicts from the ship, disembarked in early January 1819 on Sydney’s shore.
Upon arrival, Stonage was among a large group of convicts forwarded inland to the Windsor district (in the Hawkesbury region) for assignment. In the colony, he spent his years of servitude working as a convict laborer. Records indicate he was assigned in the Windsor area, likely employed on farms or in government service such as road gangs or other manual work. As a prisoner serving a life term (referred to as being “bond”), he had to adhere to strict conditions and could not leave his district without permission.
Over time, convicts who demonstrated good behavior could earn certain privileges. It is probable that after many years in the colony, William Stonage obtained a Ticket of Leave, allowing him to live and work within a specified district (a common concession for long-serving convicts with life sentences). Ultimately, by mid-century, he received a form of clemency. In 1850 a conditional pardon was issued for him, effectively remitting the remainder of his life sentence and restoring his freedom within the Australian colonies. This pardon meant William was no longer bound as a convict (though a conditional pardon would have barred him from returning to England).
There is no record of William Stonage marrying or having children in New South Wales. He appears not to have established a family in the colony. He likely remained in the general region where he had been assigned, continuing to reside in New South Wales as a free man after his pardon. The exact date of William Stonage’s death is not clearly documented, but he presumably died in New South Wales in the early 1850s after more than three decades in Australia. By the end of his life, he had transitioned from a condemned prisoner to a pardoned colonist, living out his final years on the land where he had once been sent in chains.
Submitted by Researcher (Edward Dridge) on 31 October 2025
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Disclaimer: The information has not been verified by Claim a Convict. As this information is contributed, it is the responsibility of those who use the data to verify its accuracy. Research notes
There are currently no research notes attached to this convict. Sources
- The National Archives (TNA) : HO 11/3, p.75
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